foal health
Bone formation scoring 2.0
August 29th, 2023
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Equine veterinarian Dr. Claire Card (DVM, PhD) at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) and members of her research team are re-evaluating a decades-old bone formation (ossification) scoring system used to assess newborn foals. The skeletal ossification index (SOI) is a four-point grading system that generations of veterinarians have used to assess bony development in newborn foals and to …
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A life-saving gift
It was nearly 20 years ago when Murray and Shirley Popplewell visited the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) for the first time – but it’s a story they still tell. The couple had just witnessed the birth of their first Arabian foal. The foal lay on the ground, its head limp. Beginning to worry, they picked up the baby …
April 14th, 2017 Full story »
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The foaling mare: preparation is key
If you ask anyone who has bred horses, they will tell you that it’s no easy feat. However, when it is done properly (and everything goes right), having an energetic and healthy foal is an exciting and rewarding experience. Dr. Stephen Manning is a board-certified theriogenologist and an associate professor at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). Based on …
July 08th, 2015 Full story »
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Study focuses on lung failure in foals
Last summer, I was part of a research group at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) that’s working to gain a better understanding of why young foals often die of respiratory distress and lung failure. During the first few months of their lives, foals are highly susceptible to bacterial infections and toxins because of their immature immune system. As …
March 25th, 2014 Full story »
